Engine starter



Aug. 26, 1924.

B. J. STEEN ENGINE STARTER Filed Jurie 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug, 26,'19240 B. J. STEEN ENGINE STARTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F1 1 ed June52,111,923

Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES H j f 1,505,265

PATENT OFFIEE.

BUFORD J. STEEN, OF CHRISTINE, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GUIBERSONCORPORATION, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

ENGINE STARTER.

Application filed June 5, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BUFORD J. STEEN, citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Christine, in the county of Atascosa and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in EngineStarters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in enginestarters.

This invention has particularly to do with single cylinder steam engineswhich are equipped with a fly wheel and which frequently, particularlyafter a period of use, stop on dead center and must be moved oif of saidcenter before the piston will start its stroke.

Various devices have been evolved for the purpose of imparting a partialrotation to a fly wheel and a few have been particularly designed forimparting suflicient movement to a wheel to move the crank out of linewith the piston rod whereby the piston will start its stroke.

The object of the invention is to provide means of a particular type formechanically imparting a partial rotation to a fly wheel for moving thecrank of the shaft off of dead center.

A further object of the invention is to provide a starter in the form ofan attachment which may be readily placed on an engine which has beenalready installed; and to do so without alterations or additions otherthan the attachment itself.

Another object is to provide an engine starter attachment arranged tobolt into the pillow block of the crank shaft so as to be readilyattached in an easy manner by using the bolts and nuts of the block tohold said starter in place.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a starter havingan open bearing at the point where it engages the crank shaft or flywheel hub, which possesses the advantages of a slip-on connection withthe shaft and the reduction of frictional contact when the starter isnot in use and the fly-wheel is rotating.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for supporting andadjusting the lever-arm which engages crank shaft.

Serial No. 643,548.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an eccentric memberor cam normally free from engagement with the face of the fly-wheel, butarranged to functionally engage the same when the starter lever isserving to rotate the wheel.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed, to gether with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings,in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1, is a side elevation of an attachment constructed in accordancewith my invention and mounted on the fiy-wheel and crank shaft which areshown in dotted lines,

Fig; 2, is an end elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the guide and associated parts,

Fig. 4, is a detail of the mounting block,

Fig. 5, is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention,

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the same, and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the attachment.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates the crank shaft of a steamengine, 11 the pillow block and 12 the fly-wheel. In carrying out myinvention I provide a leverarm 13 which is provided with a hook 13, atits lower end, said hook engaging under the shaft 10 and constituting anopen bear-- ing member. The arm XtQDClS radially of the wheel from itsshaft to a point beyond the rim of the said wheel. I

In order to support the arm in an upright position and hold the hook inengagement with the shaft, a stud 14 is fastened to said arm just abovethe hub of the wheel. A bracket 15 is provided with a foot 16 bored toreceive the bolts 17 of the pillow block 11, whereby said bracket isfastened in position. In the horizontal upper portion of the bracket ismounted a tension screw 18 which receives a nut 19 whereby it issupported on the bracket.

A coiled spring 20 has its upper end fastened to the screw and its lowerend engaged in the/stud. By adjusting the nut 19 the screw may be raisedto increase the ten sion of the spring and lowered to decrease saidtension. The spring supports the arm 13 and may be adjusted so that thehook either engages the underside of the shaft 10 or hangs slightlybelow the same. A horizontal guide 21 substantially parallel to the sideof the arm 13 is carried by the bracket and has stop lugs 22 at each endprojecting into the path of the arm, when the latter is swung, said armnormally standing nearer one of said lugs.

The upper end of the arm has a central slot 23 and the arm is seated ina guide channel 2% in the face of a mounting block 25. A bolt 26 passingthrough the lower portion of the slot and the block, receives a nut 27on the rear side of the block, whereby the block is fastened on the arm.A fulcrum bolt 28 passes through the upper portion of the slot 23 andthe block and is confined between nuts 29. The bolt 28 over; hangs theface of the fiy-wheel and has fulcrumed thereon an eccentric 30. Theouter end of the bolt 28 is bent downwardly at right angles to form akeeper 31, beyond the outer side of the rim of the wheel.

The eccentric has a broad face and is enlarged outwardly from its pivot.The bolts 26 and 28 and the block are adjusted so that the eccentricwill be immediately above the face of the fly-wheel and to one side ofthe vertical axis thereof. The hook 13 causes the arm 13 to normallyoccupy such a position as to correctly position the eccentric withrelation to the vertical axis of the wheel.

A lever 32 extends upwardly from the cam at a point between the fulcrumand enlarged outer end thereof. This lever has an eye 33 at its upperend for receiving the end of a hand rod 34:. The hand rod is of suitablelength and is supported in any convenient manner. A handle 35 on the endof the rod is placed within convenient reach of the engineer, wherebythe rod may be pulled to swing the lever in the direction of the arrow.A coiled spring 36 has one end pivoted to the lever and the other endscrew threaded, passing through a support 37 and receiving a nut 38. Byadjusting the but the spring may be tensioned and the lever held in anupright position and the eccentric elevated slightly above the face ofthe wheel 12. Owing to the scale of the drawing, it is impossible toshow the space between the eccentric and the face of the wheel,'but whenthe eccentric is not in use it must not ride on the face of the wheel.

Should the engine stop on dead center, which it frequently does after aperiod of use, it will not start when the throttle valve (not shown) isopened. In such cases the engineer merely has to grasp the handle 35 andpull the rod 34: toward him. lVhen the rod is pulled the lever 32 isswung forwardly, whereby the eccentric 30 is rocked downward and engagedwith the face of the fly-wheel 12 and at the same time the arm 13 ispulled upwardly so that all play between the hook 13 and the crank shaft10, is taken up. Owing to its curved surface the eccentric willfrictionally engage the face of the wheel.

As the forward movement of the lever is continued the arm .13 will beswung about the crank shaft. During this movement the lever 32 and thearm 13 act as a single member or starting lever. The lever 32 is swungagainst the tension of the spring and the arm 13 when swung to its limitwill increase the tension of the spring 20,

and thus when the handle 35 is released the springs will return theparts to their normal position.

It may only be necessary to turn the wheel a short distance in order tostart the engine. Just as soon as the engine starts under its ownimpulse, the face of the wheel will move away from the eccentric and theinstant the handle 35 is released the spring 36 will cause the eccentricto be lifted from the face of the wheel, thus eliminating draggingthereon. An important feature of the invention is the simplicity andease with which the attachment may be installed. By removing the twonuts from the bolts 17 on one side of the pillow block 11, the foot 16of the bracket may be placed on the block and fastened by re placingsaid nuts. By engaging the hook 13 around the shaft 10, adjusting theblock 25, and adjusting the spring 20, the installation on the engineproper, is completed. The spring 36 may be supported in any convenientupright member and the rod 3 1 likewise supported. If the starter isapplied to the engine of a well drilling rig, the spring 36 may beattached to post driven in the ground and the rod may be mounted on thederrick.

Various changes in the size and location of the different parts as wellas modifications and alterations, may be made within the scope of theclaims appended hereto, as is evidenced by the modified form of theinvention shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8;

In this form an arm 40 has a hook 11 at its lower end engaging aroundthe crank shaft 10. Upright brackets 15, each hav ing a foot 16 fastenedon the bolts 17 of the pillow block 11. Each bracket has a slot 42receiving the screw threaded end of a U-shaped guide 4-3- and isconfined between. nuts 14, whereby the horizontal guide may bevertically adjusted and fastened. The arm 40 extends up through theguide and has its upper end'bentupon'itself out wardly, to form a hanger415 which engages over the guide. A bolt &6 mounted in the hanger,extends transversely and overhangs the face of the flywheel 12. The boltis held in the hanger by its head and a nut l7, and is adjustable in aslot 47.

An eccentric lS is fulcrumed on the bolt and confined over the face ofthe wheel by a cotter key 49. The eccentric has a broad curved faceadapted tofrictionally engage with the face of the wheel. A lever 50extends upwardly from the eccentric and is pivoted at its upper end to aforwardly extending rod 51 having a handle 52 on its forward end. Acoiled spring 53 has one end pivoted to the lever and the other endscrew-threaded and passing through an upright or post 54. A nut 55mounted on the end of the spring bears against the post and places saidspring under tension, whereby the lever is held in an upright posi tion.

lVhat I claim, is:

1. In an engine starter attachment, a bracket arranged for attachment toan engine, an arm supported by said bracket and having a bearing memberat one end for engaging a crank shaft, an eccentric pivoted on the outerend of the arm, a lever extending outwardly from the eccentric, aconnection for manually operating the lever to swing the eccentric andthe arm, and a resilient connection for returning the parts to theirnormal position.

2. In an engine starting attachment, an upright bracket arranged forattachment to the pillow block of the crank shaft of an engine, an armsupported by said bracket and having a bearing member at one end forengaging a crank shaft, an eccentric pivoted on the outer end of thearm, a lever extending outwardly from the eccentric, a connection formanually operating the lever to swing the eccentric and the arm, and aresilient connection for returning the parts to their normal position.

3. In an engine starter attachment, a bracket arranged for attachment toan en gine, an arm supported by and movable relatively of said bracket,said arm having an open bearing member at its inner end for engaging thecrank shaft of an engine, an eccentric pivoted on the outer end of thearm and adjustable longitudinally of the arm, a lever extendingoutwardly from the eccentric, a connection for manually swinging thelever and also the arm, and a resilient connection for returning theparts to their normal position.

4. In an engine starter attachment, a bracket arranged for attachment toan engine, an arm supported by and movable relatively of said bracket,said arm having an open bearing member at its inner end for engaging thecrank shaft of an engine, an eccentric pivoted on. the outer end of thearm, a lever extending outwardly from the eccentric, a connection formanually operating the lever to swing the eccentric and the arm, and aresilient connection for returning the parts to their normal position.

5. In an engine starting attachment, an upright bracket having a. footfor attachment to the pillow block of an engine crank shaft, an armsupported by and movable relatively of said bracket, a hook at the innerend of the arm for engaging a crank shaft, an eccentric pivoted on theouter end of the arm, a lever extending outwardly from the eccentric, apull rod connected with the upper end of the lever, and a coiled springhaving one end attached to the lever.

6. In an engine starter, the combination with the fiy-wheel and crankshaft of an engine, of a support, a lever carried by and movablerelatively of said support, and provided with a bearing member forengaging said crank shaft, a friction eccentric fulcrumed on said leverand overhanging the face of the fly-wheel, manually operated meansconnected with said eccentric through which the latter may be actuatedinto frictional engagement with said fly-wheel and through the furtheractuation of which said lever may be swung on the crank shaft to turnsaid fly-wheel.

7. In an engine starter, the combination with the fly-wheel and crankshaft of an engine, of a support, a lever carried by and movablerelatively of said support and provided with a bearing member forengaging said crank shaft, a friction eccentric fulcrumed on said leverand overhanging the face of the fly-wheel, manually operated meansconnected with said eccentric through which the latter may be actuatedinto frictional engagement with said fly-wheel and through the furtheractuation of which said lever may be swung on the crank shaft to turnsaid fly-wheel, and resilient-means for raising said eccentric from saidfly-wheel and returning the parts to normal position when said actuatingmeans is released.

8. In an engine starter, the combination with the fiy-wheel and crankshaft of an engine, of a support arranged to be attached to said engine,an arm carried by and movable relatively of said support, an eccentricpivoted on said arm and overhanging the face of the fly-wheel, thesupport having means for limiting the swing of the arm, a lever attachedto the eccentric, a member on the inner end of .the arm engaging thecrank shaft, a connection attached to the lever for initially rockingthe eccentric to grip the face of the fiy-wheel and subsequently forswinging the arm to turn the fiy-wheel, and a resilient connectionattached to the lever for restoring the parts to their normal position.

9. In an engine starter, the combination with the fly-wheel and crankshaft of an engine, of a support, a swinging arm having a hook at itsinner end for engagement around the crank shaft, means car tied by thesupport for holding the hook in engagement with the crank shaft, aneccentric fulcrumed on the arm and overhanging the face of thefly-Wheel, a lever extending from the eccentric an actuating memberconnected with the lever, and a resilient returning member alsoconnected with said lever.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BUFORD J. STEEN.

